McDowell County

History

Archaeological excavations performed by Dr. David Moore during the early 1980s, revealed artifacts and other evidence that the earliest inhabitants of McDowell County lived there from the Woodland period and Mississippian culture era, from 250 to 1500 AD. Dr. Moore discovered this material in an area close to the Catawba River, in and around an unusual topographical site known as Round Hill. Both the historic Cherokee and Catawba Indians were Native American peoples known to live in what is now McDowell County, and they had been there long before any Europeans. These Native Americans were living in this section for centuries before the Spanish Juan Pardo's 1566 expedition to the interior region from the Atlantic coast.

In the next two years, Pardo traveled from the Spanish colony on an island, through what are now South Carolina and Western North Carolina and into southeastern Tennessee. His expedition traveled through the area that is now McDowell County. His purpose was to acquire territory for Spain and establish forts for an alternative interior route to central Mexico. The Spanish mistakenly believed that the Appalachians connected to a range there, where they had established silver mines.

Pardo also hoped to find precious metals during his expedition, in which he stopped at several Native American villages. Pardo and his men built a log blockhouse, Fort San Juan, at a Mississippian chiefdom known as Joara at the headwaters of the Catawba River, a site north of present-day Morganton, North Carolina. They wintered over at Joara. Pardo directed his forces to establish five more forts in the interior, including one at Chiaha, in present-day southeastern Tennessee. The Native Americans raided the Spanish newcomers and killed all but one of the soldiers in the garrisons, burning all six forts in 1568. Pardo had already left for Spain by then. The Spanish gave up their efforts to settle the interior.

In 1748, "Hunting" John McDowell received a land grant from the colony of North Carolina for property known today as Pleasant Gardens, including acreage that originally extended from Swan's Pond (Catawba County) up the Catawba River west to present-day Marion and into the region known as Buck Creek. McDowell went hunting with his friend Henry Weidner, and the two came upon a lush green valley with thousands of acres of what they thought was virgin forest. They were both interested in the land, and McDowell won a wrestling match to decide who should apply for it.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 445.35 square miles (1,153.5 km2), of which 439.95 square miles (1,139.5 km2) is land and 5.40 square miles (14.0 km2) (1.21%) is water.

Numerous small creeks and streams flow through the county. The Catawba River originates in and crosses the county and empties into Lake James. It flows over Catawba Falls on its way, which is accessible to the public. Other waterfalls can be found in the county, such as Toms Creek Falls. Almost half of the county, including the two aforementioned waterfalls, is located inside the Pisgah National Forest. Linville Caverns, North Carolina's only limestone cavern system open to the public, is located in the far northern part of the county.

Geologically, McDowell County is located within the southern Appalachian Mountains region. The Blue Ridge Parkway closely follows the northwestern boundary of the county. McDowell County rises rapidly from the Piedmont (United States) in its extreme eastern border where elevations average about 1200 feet above sea level, to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north and west. Its lowest point is 969 feet above sea level along Cane Creek in the county's southeastern corner. Its highest point is Pinnacle—at 5,665 feet above sea level the second-highest mountain (after Grandfather Mountain) in the Blue Ridge, and also considered the southernmost tip of the Black Mountains, the highest ridge in eastern America. Much of the county lies in the Foothills (North Carolina) region of Western North Carolina.

National Protected areas

Blue Ridge Parkway (part)

Crabtree Falls (part)

Linville Gorge Wilderness (part)

Pisgah National Forest (part)

State and local protected areas

Bobs Creek State Natural Area

Davidson's Fort Historic Park

Fonta Flora State Trail (part)

Lake James State Park (part)

Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center

Pisgah National Forest Game Land (part)

Pisgah (WRC) Game Land (part)

South Mountains Game Land (part)

Wilderness Gateway State Trail (part)

Major water bodies

Armstrong Creek

Bee Rock Creek

Black Bear Cove

Broad River

Buck Creek

Camp Creek

Cane Creek

Catawba River

Cox Creek

Crooked Creek

Jake Creek

Jarrnett Creek

Lake James

Lake Tahoma

Laurel Creek

Little Buck Creek

Mill Creek

Nix Creek

North Fork Catawba River

Rosas Creek

Second Broad River

Shoal Creek

South Muddy Creek

Toms Creek

Adjacent counties

Mitchell County – north

Avery County – north

Burke County – east

Rutherford County – south

Buncombe County – west

Yancey County – northwest

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 44,578. The census also recorded 13,065 families residing in the county.

The median age was 44.8 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.2 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 86.0% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.0% from some other race, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.6% of the population.

27.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 73.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 18,058 households in the county, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.5% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,242 housing units, of which 15.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.3% were owner-occupied and 26.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 42,151 people, 16,604 households, and 11,954 families residing in the county. The population density was 95 people per square mile (37 people/km2). There were 18,377 housing units at an average density of 42 units per square mile (16 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.18% White, 4.16% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.61% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 2.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,604 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.80% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,396, and the median income for a family was $37,789. Males had a median income of $26,609 versus $21,640 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,109. About 9.00% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 15.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

McDowell County is a member of the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission regional council of governments.

McDowell County voted Republican in the three elections from 1900 to 1908, but otherwise was solidly Democratic until 1956, when Dwight D. Eisenhower carried the county. Since then, like other areas of the North Carolina Foothills, it has become predominantly Republican. Since 1956, only two Democratic candidates have won the county's vote in presidential elections: Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and Jimmy Carter in 1976, both hailing from the southern region of the nation.

2016 presidential primaries and election

In the 2016 Republican Primary in McDowell County, Donald Trump received 2,552 votes (or 41.2% of the total votes) followed by Ted Cruz, who came in second with 2,422 votes (or 39.1% of the total votes). In the 2016 Democratic Primary, Bernie Sanders received 1,622 votes (49.0%) and Hillary Clinton received 1,353 votes (40.9%).

In the 2016 presidential election in McDowell County, Republican Donald Trump received 14,517 votes (74.2%), Democrat Hillary Clinton 4,645 votes (23.8%), and Libertarian Gary Johnson 395 votes (2.0%).

Education

The following is a list of schools located in McDowell County:

Marion Elementary School

West Marion Elementary School

Nebo Elementary School

Old Fort Elementary School

Pleasant Gardens Elementary School

Eastfield Global Magnet School

Glenwood Elementary School

North Cove Elementary School

West McDowell Middle School

East McDowell Middle School

Foothills Community School

McDowell High School

McDowell Early College High School

McDowell Academy for Innovation

Phoenix Academy

New Manna Christian School

Nebo Crossing Christian Academy

McDowell County has one community college: McDowell Technical Community College

Communities

City

Marion (county seat and largest community)

Town

Old Fort

Census-designated place

Glenwood

Nebo

West Marion

Unincorporated communities

Linville Falls (also in Avery and Burke)

Little Switzerland (also in Mitchell County)

North Cove